Since July 28, Venezuelans have flooded the streets of the capital city, Caracas, in protest of the fraudulent presidential election. Their hope for a better future was quickly stripped away after over a decade of the country’s biggest economic decline. But, they won’t back down without a fight.
On July 28, 2024, thousands of Venezuelans eagerly lined up to vote in this year’s presidential election. This election’s two major presidential candidates were Nicolás Maduro and Edmundo González Urrutia.
Maduro has been the President since the death of his predecessor Hugo Chávez in 2013. Throughout Maduro’s presidency, the country faced severe economic decline – shortages of goods, including food and medicine, left 91 percent of the population in poverty according to a 2021 survey.
The decline in living conditions for citizens under Maduro’s presidency led to a point of mass migration. 7.7 million people have fled Venezuela since 2015, of which 545,000 reside in the United States. With Maduro’s government making it nearly impossible to register to vote, only about 69,000 Venezuelans living abroad were able to participate in this year’s presidential election.
Contrarily, González is a former diplomat known for his time as an ambassador to various countries. Despite his background working in politics, he was not well known until his presidential campaign. His abrupt presidential campaign began back in April of this year, where he quickly gained traction and support from thousands of Venezuelans wanting a change. “A phrase that has been said to me repeatedly is “You are my last hope,’” said González.
González was Maduro’s biggest competition in the election, challenging the dictator’s policies and campaign. However, this did not make him the people’s first choice for the presidential candidate.
The Opposition is a democratic movement in Venezuela currently led by Maria Corina Machado, who emerged as the Opposition leader in October 2023 after winning the party’s independent primary elections. Representatives and followers of the Opposition initially chose Machado as a presidential candidate; however, Maduro’s government banned her from doing so.
The Supreme Court’s ban was upheld due to alleged fraud and tax violations. In turn, she has given her support to Edmundo González Urrutia to take her place on the ballot.
Many Opposition representatives and volunteers were present in the voting centers to collect tally sheets and look out for any irregularities during the election. Some were turned away by police and other authority officials loyal to Maduro. These representatives and volunteers received special training throughout the Summer to ensure the validity of the election.
Although the authority officials tried to kick out any Opposition members, they remained persistent and dedicated. Some representatives even stayed in the voting centers late into the night.
“They took courage with their law in hand, with the polling station manual in hand, and they managed to enter,” said Machado. The National Electoral Council (CNE) did not allow any Opposition members to be present during the count.
On July 29, 2024, the CNE announced that Nicolás Maduro was the winner of the election, beginning his third six-year term. Many citizens were devastated by the news but not defeated, as the next day Caracas filled with thousands of Venezuelans protesting against the results, including Machado and the Opposition.
During these protests, Machado and González stood side by side holding tally sheets in the air. Machado announced that the Opposition was able to collect more than 80 percent of the sheets from voting centers throughout the country. The results of the tally sheets indicate that Edmundo González is the true victor.
Since election day, protests have broken out all over the world. International observers have come forward with evidence of election irregularities and acknowledged the CNE’s lack of transparency with the results.
“Venezuela’s 2024 presidential election did not meet international standards of electoral integrity and cannot be considered democratic,” stated The Carter Center.
It is important to note that the country of Venezuela has an abundance of oil and other natural resources. In 2023, Venezuela had the largest crude oil reserves with around 303 billion barrels, but only 0.8 percent was produced globally.
The sanctions imposed by the United States have made the production of oil harder, limiting access to the proper tools and technology, further contributing to the economic collapse. In October 2023, the Biden Administration agreed to provide sanction relief in exchange for a fair election. The U.S. government is prepared to continue and increase sanctions if their terms are not met.
With all eyes on Venezuela, the country’s Supreme Court has verified Maduro’s alleged win on Aug. 22 in an attempt to ease the tension. The Maduro loyal court reviewed the vote counts stating he won by over a million votes. However, their ruling does not match the evidence that both the United Nations and the Carter Center gathered from their election observations. Venezuelans, The Opposition, foreign governments including the U.S., and even allies of Maduro are demanding that the government reveal the full rundown of the election results.
Despite the Supreme Court’s attempt to confirm Maduro’s victory, the people of Venezuela continue to protest the election. The streets of Caracas are filled with people demanding justice and transparency, refusing to accept a future dictated by fraud. As international involvement grows, the fight for Venezuela’s democracy keeps on, with the nation’s will stronger than ever.
